Taking and Giving

This week’s Torah portion is Korach, the name of a cousin of Moses, who sought to wrest power away from Moses and Aaron with three of his neighbors from the tribe of Reuben and 250 other leaders. Korach and two of those neighbors, die in an earthquake; and the 250 other rebels also perish. Moses and Aaron, with God’s help and support, survive the insurrection. The portion (Num. 16:1) begins, “Now Korah, son of Izhar, son of Kohat, son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On, son of Pelet, sons of Reuben, took.”
The Zohar (III 176a) asks, “What did he take? “ And the answer given is: “He took an evil counsel for himself.” The Zohar goes on to explain, “If one runs after that which is not his, it flies from him, and what is more, he loses his own as well. So Korah pursued that which was not his, and he lost his own without obtaining the other. Korach quarreled with peace, and the one who quarrels with peace quarrels with the Holy Name, because the Holy Name is called peace. Korah tried to upset peace on high and below. The words, “Korach took,” are telling in this portion, because they say it all. When we were young many of us thought we were given life to become the best we could be in order to be able to learn how to take all that might be available to us. Korach too, misunderstood his mission on earth. He thought he was placed here, at that location and time, to make a name for himself, to win respect and power, to take what he could, and to enjoy all the fruits of life.
It is somewhat fitting that this week’s Torah portion is about leadership.
It is a great blessing for me to be here with all of you. I want to express to you my profound gratitude and thanks that you have allowed me to be here for the last five years to give and not to take. I have enjoyed many, many fruits of life at The Actors’ Temple, but they have all been secondary to the great privilege of being able to serve and to give in and to all of you and this wonderful synagogue. It is a place where we each can give, according to our talents and inclinations, to build up this spiritual community for each other; where we can learn and grow together: sometimes making mistakes, sometimes needing to apologize to one another and making peace, but with open, loving hearts, and the intention to strive to be more and more of a blessing: to support each other and this synagogue, and to be the kind of community we can be proud of. We are on each other’s spiritual paths, and as such we can take steps together to continue to innovate, to continue to grow, to continue to pray, laugh, learn, and help each other. As we enter the journey toward the next five years, please let me know your ideas for the future. Please suggest ways that you want to contribute to this synagogue and to those friends you have made here. Please let me know how I can give to you and support you. I am so grateful to all of you for being here tonight and for allowing me the privilege of serving you at The Actors’ Temple. Thank you with all my heart.